Author

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology, Industrial and Organizational

Date of Defense

7-3-2017

Graduate Advisor

Mark Tubbs

Committee

John Meriac

Matt Taylor

Haim Mano

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between variability in personality and important organizational outcomes, including multi-faceted job performance and turnover intentions. Furthermore, this study tested the mediating effects of self-esteem, anxiety, leader-member exchange, and job satisfaction. Finally, various situational contingencies were examined as a potential source of Big Five personality states. Experience sampling methodology was used to repeatedly measure working participants’ state personality over the course of two weeks. Self and other (i.e., coworker or supervisor) performance ratings were collected.

Results showed that variability in a general factor of personality had statistically significant relationships with anxiety, leader-member exchange, job satisfaction, and self-rated counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). Furthermore, results showed statistically significant indirect paths from variability in personality to self-rated CWBs, through job satisfaction and anxiety. These results were not seen for other-ratings of CWBs. Additional models were tested on the individual facets of the Big Five, with conscientiousness and neuroticism showing statistically significant relationships to multiple mediators and outcomes. Finally, the situational contingency results showed a statistically significant relationship from friendliness of interactions to state extraversion and state agreeableness. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications as the field begins to move past static conceptualizations of personality.